Hi all! Thank you for all your help.
I called up the met police FPN hotline - 0207 230 1199 - they confirmed that it was the officer who issued the penalty has made a mistake and it has been canceled.
I would’ve liked to have the bravery to take
@Drago advice and let it go to court. But calling that number was quick and solved the problem straight away.
Thanks! I’ll keep an eye on this forum for future cycling issues. I cycle to work everyday through London from Croydon so the chances of this happening again are probably quite high 😅